Juppon Buki
by Istoria
Summary: Ten weapons, ten stories, the long path to achieving a dream. A character study of the weapons expert Tenten.
1. 1 Shuriken

**1 - Shuriken**

The last thing my mother told me was that my hair looked cute in buns. And then she was gone. Not on a mission, my mother was not shinobi. She was beautiful and free and no longer satisfied being married to a blacksmith who could only offer her a warm home and love.  
  
My father tried to explain it to me many times but I didn't understand. He said he wasn't good enough for her, a woman of noble breeding. But to me, my father was the greatest person in existence. He was big, towering over me no matter how fast I grew. He was strong, despite the constant limp from an old injury. His laugh would echo in the rooms of our tiny house and he could twist metal into any shape he wanted.  
  
He used to do this magic trick where he would produce a weapon out of nowhere. It mystified me every time and I spent hours alone trying to figure out how he did it. I never asked him to show me the trick because I wanted to figure it out myself. He always looked amused while watching me try.  
  
I loved it when my father smiled. It had become a rare sight since my mother left. He would work at the fires long after I went to sleep. Sometimes in the morning, I would find him asleep in the corner of his workshop, surrounded by broken weapons that had not met his perfect requirements.  
  
When I was five, he gave me a wooden box with two shuriken inside. They weren't wooden practice ones that all the other kids had but full sharpened ones. Most of my friends said their parents wouldn't allow them near to their weapons, but here was my father, giving me my own pair.  
  
"You want to go to the academy next year, right?" he said. "You better start practicing for real."  
  
So I did. I spent hours throwing the shuriken at the makeshift targets my father set up in the backyard. I didn't see my friends for months. Somehow the make believe games of ninja seemed childish now.  
  
One day, when my friends teased me about not playing with them anymore, I blurted out how I was practicing to be a real ninja.  
  
"Don't be stupid," one of them said. "Girls can be ninja."  
  
I cried for hours afterward until my father found me. He took me home and gave me a bath, wiping away the dirt and tears. When I had finally calmed down, I told him what my friends had said.  
  
"It's not true," he said. "I know of a great kunoichi. Her name is Tsunade and she is part of a legendary trio of ninja."  
  
He spent the rest of the night telling me everything he knew of Tsunade-sama. My attention never wandered, even as the sun set and the night set in. He eventually sent me to bed but I couldn't sleep that night.  
  
The next morning, I scoured the marketplace for anything I could find on Tsunade. I came home with scrolls and a poster that was promptly tacked to my wall. Armed with my new knowledge, I tracked down my friends to prove them wrong.  
  
"Still trying to be a ninja?" they asked.  
  
I held up the scroll. "Not trying. I will be a ninja, a great one, like Tsunade-sama."  
  
Eventually they relented with their attacks and by the time academy enrollment came up, we no longer spoke. It didn't really matter, of all the kids I knew, I was the only one who went to the academy.  
  
My first day there was terrifying. Everyone was so exotic. All the girls had strange colored hair or strange eyes and there I was with my plain brown set. All the boys looked so strong and were already challenging each other to see who was best.  
  
My father left me there with a pat on the head and a packed lunch. I shuffled into the academy, no one noticing I was even there. I sat in the back, to avoid notice, sitting in the shadows and taking notes while the sensei lectured about taijutsu.  
  
At lunch, I wandered outside and took a seat by myself. When I opened my lunch, I found my father had packed my favorites, including a picture of Tsunade-sama with a message on the back.  
  
_Remember your dreams_  
  
When I went back into the classroom, I moved to the front. The guy I sat next to eyed me warily, which was a bit unnerving considering the all white eyes.  
  
"I'm Tenten." He looked at me for a moment. "Wanna see my shuriken?"  
  
The mention of weapons seemed to interest him so he nodded. I pulled them out of their pouch and let him hold them.  
  
"They're all beat up," he said.  
  
I nodded proudly. "I practice everyday. I can hit a target from 50 yards away."  
  
He handed them back to me. "Neji."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"My name is Neji."  
  
"That's a nice name," I said and he smiled a bit.  
  
"Hey, that's my seat!"  
  
I looked up and found myself staring at the strangest boy I had ever seen. He had a mop of black hair on his head and two caterpillars for eyebrows.  
  
"Sorry," I said. "I just couldn't see from the back."  
  
He smiled suddenly. "That's okay! If you want it you can have it." His teeth sparkled a bit and he flashed me a thumbs up sign.  
  
"But it's not fair for you," I said. "Wait! I know!"  
  
I pulled my seat next to Neji who looked perplexed at my actions. "Shift over a bit," I told him. He paused for a beat before slowly moving towards the edge of his seat. I brought mine next to his. I sat down in the middle of and patted the edge of the remaining seat for the new boy.  
  
He smiled and sat down. "Thanks! I'm Lee!"  
  
"I'm Tenten, this is Neji."  
  
"Nice to meet you!" Lee smiled. "Now I just have to meet two more people."  
  
"What for?" I asked.  
  
"I challenged myself to meet five new people today or else I'd have to run five hundred laps around the town."  
  
"That's the stupidest thing I ever heard," Neji said.  
  
Lee frowned. "Only because you couldn't do it."  
  
"Not only could I do it," Neji replied, "but I would be done before you were half way through."  
  
"Oh yeah!"  
  
"Guys!" I cried, slowly being squished between the two of them.  
  
Luckily the sensei walked in at that moment, took one look at our situation and quickly brought another chair so Lee could have his own.  
  
As soon as that was settled he began to talk about genjutsu, the art of illusion that was important to ninja. It wasn't until he taught us the basics of how it works that I realized something very important.  
  
I left my two new friends with the promise of seeing them tomorrow and ran straight home. My father was in the back as always, sweat pouring out and soaking his shirt. But I didn't care. I just grabbed him in a hug, my arms barely passing around his waist.  
  
He laughed and told me to get dinner ready while he changed. I was used to doing some of the cooking and my father had already chopped everything up. By the time he emerged clean with sopping wet hair, I was still stirring the big pot from my spot on the step stool.  
  
"Tell me about your day," he said.  
  
So I did, about the way I was scared at first but then I saw his lunch and I moved to front of the class. About Neji and Lee and the senseis who lectured us.  
  
"And then I realized something!" I cried. "Show me the trick again!"  
  
He smiled and repeated the trick, producing a shuriken for me to see. I smiled and reached forward, poking it and watching as it disappeared in a puff of smoke. He smiled and shook his head.  
  
"You finally figured out it was just an illusion."  
  
"You were a ninja!" I said. "Why aren't you doing that anymore?"  
  
His face saddened a bit. "There was a fight, one with all the ninja."  
  
"The one with Kyuubi?" I asked, remembering what our senseis had taught.  
  
He nodded. "Many people died so I was lucky to be one of the ones who only got hurt. But it was bad enough so that I could no longer be a ninja."  
  
"Did that make you sad?"  
  
He nodded slowly. "For a while. But then I had your mother and we had you and that helped. So it wasn't too long before I wasn't sad anymore."  
  
"How come?"  
  
"Because I had something that meant more to me then being injured, more then anything." He ruffled my hair.  
  
"Hey! You'll make the buns fall out!" I cried but it was too late, my hair was tumbling out of its bindings and he was tickling me to the point that the soup almost burned while I was distracted.  
  
After dinner, I went to my room and got ready for bed. I paused at the poster of Tsunade-sama and smiled. Picking up a brush, I dipped it in ink and slowly drew a small line at the bottom.  
  
One step. One step closer to achieving my dream.


	2. 2 Kunai

**2 – Kunai**

They say the most important day in a ninja's life is the day he graduates from the academy. For me, it was one of the worst. I knew I was going to pass the exam. I had practiced for three straight weeks with Neji and Lee. Neji thought the exam was stupid but then he had surpassed all of the other students years ago. Lee was another story.  
  
He tried, I saw how hard he did, to be able to do the simplest genjutsu but it was just not within his reach. So there were Neji and I with our forehead protectors and Lee was still smiling despite the fact that they've failed him and said he won't ever pass.  
  
"Wow, you guys look great with those on," Lee smiled. "You're going to make great ninjas."  
  
It was supposed to make us feel good. But ever word just drove the pain in deeper. I knew my father was there, ready to celebrate, but I couldn't be happy knowing that Lee wasn't.  
  
Neji's face showed little emotion but I wasn't surprised. Since his father died, Neji's face had turned to stone. He never talked about it but Lee and I knew it's eating him up inside. And now that we weren't in the academy together, I'm afraid of what would happen to him.  
  
Graduating sucked, there's no question about it. It didn't matter that dad made a set of special kunai just for the occasion or that he was taking me out to my favorite restaurant. I would have given anything to walk back into that school as student. But that's not the way things worked and before I knew it, my father was pulling me away and out to dinner.  
  
I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep at all that night. Sometime around two, I got up and got dressed, taking the new kunai with me. Maybe I could put them to good use and kill a tree or something.  
  
But my feet were taking me someplace other then the training ground. Before I knew it, I was in front of the small house that Lee lived in. Was I surprised that there was a light on in his bedroom? Not a bit. I know it's why I came. With friends like Lee and Neji, you learn pretty quickly that boys are very good at bottling things up inside.  
  
I picked up a few stones and threw them at the lit window. There was movement and a very tired Lee poked his head out the window. I waved my hands to get his attention and motioned him to join me. He seemed to hesitate so I made good use of the kunai and hurled them at him to make sure he understood I was serious.  
  
Ten minutes later, we were standing in front of the Hyuuga complex, eyeing each other wearily. It was bad enough that there were at least five dozen rooms but the large wall that surrounded it made it impossible to see inside. Getting Lee was easy, getting Neji was damn near impossible.  
  
"Should we ring the doorbell?" Lee asked.  
  
"At 2am in the morning?" I replied, shaking my head. "I wish I knew which room was his. I could probably hit it with a kunai from here."  
  
Lee looked thoughtful and then jumped up with an idea. He kneeled down and told me to stand on his shoulders. I did just that and Lee lifted me up, steadying himself as I grab the wall to balance us.  
  
"When did you get so strong?" I asked, looking down at him.  
  
"I've been training," he whispered back.  
  
I turned my attention back to the Hyuuga house only to come face to face with a familiar white-eyed face. I let out a shriek and pushed away, causing Lee to fall backwards under me. Neji grabbed my arm before I could hit the ground but Lee landed hard.  
  
"What are you doing?" Neji asked as he lowered me to the ground.  
  
"Looking for you!" I cried. "Why are you up so late?"  
  
His eyebrow arched a bit. "Training, what else?"  
  
I sighed. That was another problem lately. Neji was a genius but he was always training himself to the point of exhaustion. Still standing on the wall, he looked over my shoulder at Lee before turning back to me.  
  
"What do you want?" he asked.  
  
"I want us to figure out a way to stay together," I said.  
  
There was silence. I heard Lee shuffling his feet on the ground. "But Tenten… I failed the exam…"  
  
"I know that," I shot back. "But it doesn't mean we have to accept it."  
  
"It's been decided," Neji said. "There's nothing we can do."  
  
"Well not with an attitude like that," I cried.  
  
"You don't understand," Neji replied. "The academy decided and that's all there is to it. You can't change things like that because you want to. Our fate is to continue and become ninjas, Lee's is not."  
  
I know my face cringed at the words, probably more then Lee's. In fact, I knew it hurt me more. Neji had always been the quiet one but I felt like we were losing him as each day passed. More and more, he pushed us away and avoided us to train. But he had never been this mean, not to us.  
  
I stepped back and took Lee's hand, not looking at his face but keeping my eyes locked angrily at Neji.  
  
"I don't know what your problem is," I spat, "but that's the last straw. Come on, Lee."  
  
I dragged him away quickly, not wanting to hear the protests that he was planning. Lee didn't have a lot of self esteem and I couldn't believe that Neji would say something like that, knowing how it would affect him.  
  
Finally Lee came to a stop and pulled his hand out of mine. I stopped to tell him to keep moving but when I got a look at him, everything just died on my lips. I expected to see him crying, he was most emotional out of all of us. But instead he was infuriated.  
  
"Lee?" I asked tentatively. I wasn't sure how he would react, I'd never seen Lee this mad before.  
  
He looked at me and his features slowly slid back into the normal Lee I recognized. "I've been training," he repeated, "with a jounin."  
  
"Really?" I asked.  
  
He nodded. "Let's go talk to him," Lee replied. "If anyone can help, he can."  
  
Finding a jounin in the middle of the night is not an easy task. If they're not at the Jounin headquarters in the tower they can be anywhere from on a mission to one of the bars in the red light district. So it was just our luck that our choices dwindled down to that last option.  
  
The infamous Akai quarter of Konoha was not something you find in the tour guide. But with the number of ninja in the area, there needed to be someplace to release all the stresses of their job. The bars, the brothels, and gambling halls were teeming with people, even this late at night. And it was obvious that two twelve year olds probably should not be walking in the area alone.  
  
There were a few sneers in the beginning, a few leers as we got deeper and finally the cheers of what sounded like a competition. Lee peeked into the window and nodded at me.  
  
"That's him," Lee said. "I knew he'd be here."  
  
I looked into the window at the group of jounin there. Two men were throwing darts, blindfolded, at a small circle drawn with chalk on the wall. One had white hair that almost reached the ceiling while the other had an upturned bowl of black hair.  
  
"The old guy?" I asked and Lee shook his head.  
  
"No, the other."  
  
I examined the darker man and frowned. "He's blindfolded! How are we supposed to get his attention?"  
  
"Hey! You two!"  
  
Lee and I jumped, surprised to see the massive form of the bouncer standing over us.  
  
"What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?" he demanded.  
  
Lee replied first, without a trace of fear in his voice. "I need to see Gai-sensei."  
  
"Oh do you now?" he asked, shooting a glance over at me.  
  
"Immediately," Lee stressed. But the bouncer didn't appear ready to budge at all until a small smile appeared on his face.  
  
"All right, you can go ahead," he said. "I'll just entertain your girlfriend while you're gone."  
  
I didn't even realize what happened. I saw the bouncer's hand move towards me. I reached for the kunai at my hip. And then suddenly the bouncer was on the ground, crying out in agony while Lee stood a few feet behind him.  
  
"It's impolite to touch a lady without asking first," Lee said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.  
  
The bouncer was standing up again, holding his wrist in his other hand. The words coming out of his mouth were ugly. I looked up at the window and saw most of the jounin were there, watching. I went to help Lee, but one of them grabbed my shoulder.  
  
It was Gai. "Just watch," he smiled, a glint of light reflecting off his teeth.  
  
The bouncer lurched forward, aiming a punch that was powered completely by his weight. It looked like it was about to make contact but in a blink of the eye, Lee was moving, jumping into the air. The kick smashed down on the bouncer uninjured hand causing the elbow to bend the wrong way. Lee's other leg moved as he turned and connected with his cheek. The bouncer's head snapped quickly to one side. Lee had landed before the bouncer even registered the hit on his face. Lee clenched his fist and drove his arm hard into the man's ribs, adding to his momentum and sending him into the wall.  
  
The bouncer slumped to the ground. There was a hushed awe from the assembled jounin. Lee looked up and saw the audience he had.  
  
"Gai-sensei," he said, a bit of fear dotting his face.  
  
"Lee," Gai replied. "That was impressive. Just like I told you, ne, Iruka-sensei?" He turned to the lone chuunin in the group. Iruka-sensei was suddenly visible from behind the taller jounin. He looked at Gai with a sigh and shook his head.  
  
"Come inside, Lee," Gai said. "We need to discuss things."  
  
I wanted to go too but Gai sent the old guy out to escort me home. In the light though, he didn't look old at all. He must have been about the same age as Gai. He strolled next to me, holding an orange book that I had never seen before. I swore I saw a blush from beneath the mask.  
  
By the time I got home, the sun was beginning to peak over the mountains. The jounin waved good bye and disappeared in a puff of smoke without word. I frowned as I went inside. I wanted to ask him why Iruka-sensei was with them. Why Gai had had wanted everyone to see Lee fighting? What did they have to discuss?  
  
I wanted to believe that Lee had been right, that Gai-sensei could help out. But Neji words still echoed in my mind no matter how much I tried to ignore them. In the end, I settled for making breakfast rather then debate things further.  
  
There was a loud thump on the door and I jumped, ready to take on any intruder that dared attack our home before realizing that the long night was effecting my common sense. My father walked out of his bedroom, a deep yawn forcing his eyes shut.  
  
"You're up early," he smiled. "Excited about meeting your sensei?"  
  
He opened the front door before I answer. When he turned around, he had two scrolls in his hand, obviously the source of the noise. One was the morning paper, the other he handed to me.  
  
I unrolled it quickly and read through the message. My father put the finished breakfast in front of me.  
  
"What does it say?" he asked.  
  
I shrugged. "To meet my new sensei at the observation post in the middle of town." I frowned. "Aren't we supposed to get assigned at the academy?"  
  
My father shrugged. "Maybe your new sensei had something to do this morning."  
  
I nodded and started to eat my breakfast slowly. My mind was a bit fuzzy from the lack of sleep so things pulled together slower then usual. Suddenly a few very important fact clicked in my mind.  
  
I jumped up from the table. "I have to go!" I cried, leaving my breakfast half eaten.  
  
"But you still have twenty…"  
  
I didn't hear the rest of what he said. I was running as fast as I could. The observation tower loomed into view and didn't bother with the stairs, instead ricocheting off the building to reach it.  
  
Even early, I was the last one there. Neji was sitting down, arms crossed and face impassive as he stared at his new sensei. Next to Gai was Lee, just as I had left him a few hours ago. Only this time, he was wearing a Konoha forehead protector.  
  
Before I could say a word, Gai-sensei told us to take a seat. I sat next in between Lee and Neji, feeling the tension that was forming between them.  
  
"I'd like to hear your goals," Gai-sensei said. "From today, you are genin," he smiled, nodding at Lee.  
  
"I don't want to answer," Neji said suddenly.  
  
"I would like to be a strong ninja, like the legendary female ninja Tsunade-sama," I said, ignoring Neji's remarks. If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was sulking because Lee and I had proved him wrong. But a quick glance at him told me that there was no emotion in his brooding.  
  
"SENSEI!" Lee yelled and I jumped in surprise. "I want to prove that you can become a great ninja without being able to use ninjutsu or genjutsu! That is everything to me!!"  
  
And I knew right away that there would be no doubt that he would reach his goal.

**

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**Author's notes **: Thanks for the helpful critiques from last time. I made changes to the first chapter to include fixes for mistakes and additions from suggestions. I hope you enjoyed the new chapter.


	3. 3 Senbon

**3 - Senbon**

It was only after weeks of lawn cutting and garbage collecting that Gai-sensei decided we were ready for a real mission. Mind you, the 'real' mission he had planned for us was nothing more then a glorified courier run but it was taking us out of Konoha.

I'd never left home. The closest had been a camping trip outside of the city walls but even then my father had been with me. Still, I managed to smile after Gai told us we'd be heading halfway across the country. It was hard not to considering Lee's reaction. In fact, I'm pretty sure most of the village heard his reaction.

Gai gave us a few hours to pack. Neji went off without a word but Lee followed me home speaking at a speed that I couldn't hope to understand. I just nodded a lot and waved when he finally took off running for his home.

My father was in the back, working on some very thin needles. He was so concentrated on his work, I was afraid to disturb him so I just sat back and watched. He carefully poured the metal in the cast and went to check on some of the other weapons he was working on.

I must have been a bit distracted by the suffocating heat of the furnace because the next thing I knew there were three senbon embedded into the doorframe next to me. I jumped and looked over to see him smiling.

"Nice to know that I've still got some skill," he smiled.

"Yeah," I replied, eyeing the needles, "nice to know."

"Take 'em, there yours now," he said. I smiled and pried them out of the wood, examining the sharp points with a raised eyebrow.

"Now, I don't have to tell you those aren't toys, right?" he asked. I just rolled my eyes in response. "So, are you just here to admire your old man or you want something specific?"

I swallowed, twirling the senbon in my hand. "I have a mission," I said, watching for his reaction. "It's going to take us to the edge of Fire Country so I'll be gone for a few weeks."

He nodded. "All right, let me help you pack then." He wiped his hands on his apron and left the workshop in silence. I went to my room and started pulling out a few sets of clothes, placing them in the well worn red suitcase I had. I stared at it, half full, wondering what else I needed.

My father walked in and dropped a huge leather bag on the floor. It was caked with mud and stains that I couldn't identify. It smelled like it hadn't been used in years. Judging from the trace of cobwebs, I think it was more like decades.

"This," my father said, "was my traveling bag when I was a ninja."

I picked a foot up and kicked it a bit, watching as the dust jumped into the air.

"It hasn't been used in a while," he added sheepishly. "But it's a good size and you can wear it on your back, so your hands are free. Plus, there are a lot of pockets to store your weapons."

Suddenly the bag seemed much more interesting. I put in on my bed and quickly opened it up. He was right, there was a lot more room. I dumped the clothes inside and then went about gathering what scrolls I could find. The bag was still mostly empty but I couldn't really think of anything else I would need.

My father came back with an armload of kunai, shuriken, and a few more senbon. He showed me where they could be placed and then put the bag on my back. I realized how useful this pack was when I saw all the weapons were within arms reach.

We went outside and took a few moments trading small talk until I heard Lee's voice calling for me.

"I guess I should go," I said, trying to look like I wasn't terrified of the prospect of leaving.

"I'll have dinner waiting for you when you get back."

I nodded and left, determined not to cry or do anything that would cause Lee to worry. Instead, I listened to him talk about all the time we'd get to spend with Gai-sensei and tried not to yell that not everyone was as excited as him to leave home.

Neji was already there, of course. He eyed the sack on my back and let out an unimpressed snort which immediately caused Lee to start yelling at him. Things disintegrated quickly after that and it came to blows. I backed off, trying not to get involved in another brawl and ended up running into Gai-sensei.

After scolding the two boys for fighting, he pushed them forward, settling into a quick pace. Lee continued to throw barbs at Neji who simply shrugged them off. I kept looking forward, trying not to watch the gates recede from my sight.

"You're quiet today," Gai-sensei observed. I shrugged my shoulders a bit as a response. "Are those senbon on your pack?"

I quickly reached behind and pulled one out to show him. He quirked an eyebrow as he looked at it.

"I was never one for weapons," he smiled, glint in his teeth, "but that looks like a great one."

Lee and Neji had stopped bickering long enough to watch. I smiled a bit nervously. "Wanna see me hit that tree?" I asked pointing to a tree in the distance.

It became a game after that. Lee would run ahead and point to something and I would try to hit it. My success rate was close to one hundred percent. Gai-sensei was impressed and he made a few target suggestions himself, laughing each time I hit them.

"Remind me to never challenge you to a game of darts," he smiled.

Next to him, Neji let out a trademark snort. I glared over at him, waiting to see if he wanted to add anything to that and he frowned.

"Over that branch, clip a leaf and land it in the center of the tree behind it," he stated, still looking at me.

I crossed my arms confidently. "And if I hit it?" His normal passive face flickered with confusion.

"She's right," Gai-sensei added. "A challenge like that deserves some wagers."

"Like what?" Neji asked.

I didn't really know what to ask for but Lee came over and whispered something in my ear. It was a good idea and I had none of my own anyway. "If I hit it, you buy me two scoops of ice cream when we reach the next town. If I miss, I'll buy yours instead."

Neji paused for a few minutes and looked over at the target. After a moment, he nodded.

I placed one of the senbon in between my fingers and carefully examined the path to the target. Neji probably assumed that just because I couldn't see the tree, I'd miss. But I knew that all I really had to do was calculate the right arc to weave the senbon through the first tree's branches and it would hit the second one at around the same height I threw it from.

Everyone was silent while I did the calculations. After close to five years of doing this, I was getting pretty good with the math. So after a minute, my arm came back and I threw the senbon.

It whistled in the air and shot through the branches. The three of us quickly took off, leaving Gai-sensei in our dust. I couldn't tell whether my heart was beating from the sudden exertion or from the fear that I might have miscalculated.

Three seconds later Lee let out a happy cry that could only mean that I'd nailed it. And sure enough, the senbon was embedded in the trunk of the tree with a leaf pierced through the center.

"That was excellent, Tenten!!" Lee cried. "Gai-sensei! Look!!"

"Very good, Tenten," Gai-sensei said.

I smiled broadly and looked over at Neji with a look of triumph. He looked at me with a bit of disbelief.

"How did you do that?" he asked.

"Practice," I smiled. "And knowing that if I nailed it, you'd have to buy me ice cream," I finished sticking out my tongue at him.

I expected him to be upset but instead the smirk he gave had the faintest hint of amusement. Lee tackled me with a hug and made me promise to share the ice cream so we could both share in Neji's defeat. Neji frowned again and ignored Lee, starting to walk down the road.

Lee was about to go after him but I caught his arm and made him stay with me. Let's face it, after a few years of Neji the icicle, seeing a bit of change was something I didn't want to give up too easily. So I did the only thing I knew would distract Lee from challenging Neji.

"So, what has Gai-sensei been teaching you?"

Somehow I managed to survive the five hour deluge of gloating from Lee. I managed to pick out of a few things about the gloriousness of youth and the perfection that was Gai-sensei but for the most part I was just tuning things out as best I could.

It was early afternoon when we finally hit the town. Gai-sensei took us to the town center, leaving us there to collect the packages we had to deliver. Lee took the chance to remind Neji of his debt and after a bit of bickering, we finally set off to find a restaurant.

The place we finally settled on had seating outside. While the waitress brought over water, I took a moment to look at our surroundings. The town was much smaller then Konoha. The people who walked around were all civilians, running errands or meeting with friends. There was no sense of danger, no ninja patrols and short of Neji and Lee, no one was trying to kill each other.

I was so afraid to leave Konoha but I didn't know why. I wasn't afraid of what we would face. After all I trusted my skills and my teammates to beat anything. My father had promised me dinner when I came back so I knew he would be waiting for me.

And then I realized what it was that was so terrifying about leaving home. I was afraid that I'd go outside of Konoha and actually like it. That I'd want to leave my life as a ninja. Or worse that I'd want to leave my dad. That's what she did anyway. My mother seemed to think this world was better then ours.

I watched Lee eat another spoonful of ice cream with a smile. Neji was telling him that it was supposed to be for me. I gave them another few minutes before Lee issued his challenge and I had to step in, probably armed with several pointy weapons, to remind them they needed to behave in town.

Because this town wasn't like Konoha. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I would never want to live in a place like this.

Gai came back a few minutes later, arms loaded with boxes that contained the cargo we were supposed to transport. Neji and Lee took most of it while Gai assigned me the watch.

I took the trees, jumping from branch to branch while I kept watch for any outlaws that might think we were an easy target. The leaves barely moved as I passed. I made sure to leave no signs that anyone had been this way.

It was wonderful, to fly through the trees of a place I had never been before. I didn't feel the same way I had in the town we just left. I wasn't afraid and I didn't feel out of place. Here in the forest, it felt right.

We set up camp in the middle of a clearing as the sun set. I had to help Lee set up his tent but I didn't mind. I felt like I could finally enjoy his happiness for this mission. We laughed about the people we had seen in the town. Lee did a few impressions and if I wasn't mistaken, I swore I saw Neji crack a smile.

Gai-sensei assigned watch duty but I got to sleep since I had spent most of the day doing it. I argued that I was more then willing to take a few hours since I wasn't that tired. But sensei just smiled and told me to relax. Five minutes later, I was out cold.

When I woke up, the sun was still not up but I felt completely rested. To my right, Lee was sleeping peacefully, arms wrapped around what appeared to be a stuffed animal. I stifled a giggle and settled for patting him on the head as I stood up. Across from him, Gai-sensei cracked open an eye as I moved and promptly fell back asleep.

I moved towards the last member of our group, knowing he had already seen me before I came to his side. His eyes were strained, the veins on the side meaning he was using his Byakugan to scan the area.

"You can go sleep if you want," I said.

Neji shook his head. "I have watch until dawn."

I started to argue but let it drop. I knew once Neji was given an order, he wouldn't disobey it. So instead, I just sat next to him and watched the forest with him in silence. At some point, the sky began to change, slowly lightening as the sun began to rise.

I smiled slightly as the first rays of sunlight hit the forest. I stretched my arms out to let the light start to warm them. Next to me, Neji shifted and the Byakugan slowly faded. He stood up and started to walk away but came to a stop.

"It's good that you're back to normal," he said. "It was distracting to have you sulking."

I frowned before I realized this was the closest that Neji could come to showing concern. "I guess I was worried for nothing. It's pretty nice, you know, getting away from home and seeing something new," I said.

Neji nodded slightly and looked up at the trees.

"It makes me feel..." I started but couldn't find the right word. I was happy. I wasn't worried. I was excited to be part of a mission. But none of those seemed to fit.

"Free," Neji said softly.

I smiled because I realized he was right.

* * *

**Author's note** : Writer's block sucks. Finding a movie and a soundtrack to inspire you works wonders. Sorry for the delay, works been very tiring. Hopefully the next submission won't take as long. Thanks again for all the critiques, criticism and reviews. Everytime you leave one, it helps me be a better writer.


	4. 4 Tessen

**4 – Tessen**

I decided that hospitals are depressing, no matter how cheery the nurses are. I had been there for two weeks and I was ready to climb out the window and run away. I was sick of people telling me I should get well soon or that I'd do better next Chuunin exam.

If anything, all the well wishers did was make me want to scream. I failed. I had used my best jutsu against my opponent and was tossed aside in an instant. The pain of the injury that followed was nothing compared to what I felt now. I replayed the fight a dozen times every day, looking for some way I could have done things differently. But the end result was always the same. I was in the hospital and my opponent was on to the next round.

I didn't look for my teammates. I knew Neji had passed on to the next round which was no surprise. I could have found him to congratulate him but I guess I was a little afraid to face him after losing. I knew he was going to be disappointed in me. After all, we had trained together. Worse, Neji didn't like weak people and I was pretty sure that included me now.

I stopped in on Lee a few times but only when he was asleep. There were flowers by his bedside so I guess other people came by too. I wanted to talk to him but I had heard the doctors discussing his condition. After that, I wasn't sure what the say to him. The Lee I knew had struggled against all odds to become a ninja. Now they were going to take that away from him.

So instead, I spent my days hiding from people. It worked out well until my father decided to stay in my room until I was forced to come back. When I saw him, I knew what was coming. The long lecture about not giving up. The 'talk' about how being Chuunin was difficult but that I would do better next year.

Instead, he just handed me my weapons bag.

"New ones in there are tessen. Best you start learning to use them."

And then he stood up and left. I hated that. I hated how my father could mutter a few words and still manage to convey his message clearly. I opened the bag and saw the tessen on top. I picked one up, feeling how heavy it was in comparison to a normal fan, and frowned. Of all the weapons he could have given me, it would have to be metal fans. My father was never one for subtlety.

I took the bag and went outside. If I at least looked like I was practicing, maybe that would be enough. I followed the path to the main courtyard, figuring that most people would be inside for lunch.

Instead, I found the courtyard occupied by the last person I expected to see. Neji's cousin was there, slowly moving through a kata. I waited at the side, trying to remember her name. Hinata... I think that was it. From the pained expression on her face, I realized the rumors were true. Neji had really given her a beating.

I wish I could say I understood why. I knew some thing about Hyuuga politics but not enough to understand why the relationship between the cousins was so strained. And it's not exactly something you would ask Neji to explain.

She stopped suddenly and looked up at me. I gave a tentative wave and she nodded a bit.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I'll leave."

I shook my head. "No it's okay. Courtyard is big enough for the two of us."

She looked at me like a scared rabbit for a moment. "It's all right. I don't want to be a bother."

I watched her start to scurry away. "Hey!" I called out and she stopped. She looked at me like she was preparing for a blow and I frowned. "In your kata, you left your right side exposed on the third step. I don't think that was part of it."

She paused and shook her head. "No, it's not."

"Well, try it again and I'll show you where."

She didn't move. "I don't..."

"Want to be a bother, I got it," I said waving her excuses off. "Well I'm not much in the mood for training anyway so I might as well help you." She still didn't move and I let out a sigh. "Look, I don't really know what's going on between you and Neji, but I'm not going to do anything to you."

The girl nodded slowly and took a step forward. I took a seat on the ground and watched her. She started to move slowly and I smiled, recognizing the moves. Neji did that all the time when he was fighting. It must be a kata from the Gentle Fist form.

She came to the spot I noticed before and I called out to her to show her where her gap was. Hinata corrected it quickly before continuing with the kata. I called out a few places where I noticed gaps. And occasionally, I saw where her form differed from Neji's and let her know. She almost always redid it to match his.

After an hour, she looked very winded. "Why don't you take a break?" I asked, watching as her hand subconsciously landed on her chest. Hinata nodded and came to sit next to me, catching her breath and watching as I played with the tessen.

It occurred to me that we had never really traded introductions but it just didn't seem necessary. I glanced over to her and she looked at me with an embarrassed look when she thought she had been caught staring. I held out the tessen for her to take.

She opened it once, jumping a bit at the noise. "They're... very well done."

I nodded. "My father made them for me. He makes everything," I continued, pointing to the bag.

Hinata stared at the fan for a moment before handing it back. "He cares a lot for you to make something so beautiful."

I sighed, knowing she was right but not wanting to admit it. "Yeah, I guess. He just wants me to keep training, even after the chuunin..." I trailed off, remembering that her experience hadn't been much better then mine.

Hinata nodded slowly, putting her hands in her lap. The mention of father had caused her to fall silent again and I got a bit worried when she closed her eyes to try to breathe. She put a hand on her heart and opened her eyes a moment later.

"You're very lucky," she said softly.

I nodded a bit and looked back at the tessen, seeing the intricate designs he had carved into the metal. He had probably been working on it since right after I was put into the hospital. "I guess I am," I said with a small smile.

We sat in silence for a few minutes and I realized Hinata was as talkative as her cousin. She was looking up at the sky, watching the birds dance in the setting sun. It was a very peaceful sight but something in her eyes showed that it was not echoed in her mind.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked. I was a bit surprised but let her know she could. "Does he smile anymore?"

I looked at her and realized there was only one 'he' she could be asking about. "Neji?" She nodded. I thought for a moment, thinking back to our year of training together and frowned a bit. "He used to but not around us anymore that much. Why?"

Hinata looked down in her lap. "Once, when we were very young, he smiled... just for me." I watched as she looked up at me. "But after that... he just never smiled again. I was just hoping... that maybe for you..."

I took in a deep breath. "Like I said, I don't know what happened but... sometimes people get hurt and it takes them a long time to recover." I played with the tessen. "Mainly because they're stubborn about it. And you can't push them to recover, you can just... help them along the way."

I tapped the fan on my head and realized exactly what I was saying. I was echoing my father's words just in a bit more detail.

"I guess so," Hinata said, trying to smile.

I stood up and grabbed the bag. "Hey, if you ever need a training partner, let me know. Playing with the boys gets a bit repetitive after a while."

She looked up at me with her white eyes and I thought she was going to cry. Instead she nodded a bit. "I'd like that."

"Great! I need to go practice now but I think I need a bigger field," I said, waving good-bye as I went back inside. I needed to check out of this place first to get any real training done and I didn't think there'd be too much of a problem doing that.

I headed back to my room to collect whatever I had left there and found someone was there waiting for me. Or rather, he had been and was now staring out the window into the courtyard.

"Why are you still here?" Neji asked, not breaking his gaze.

"What?"

"You could have checked out three days ago," he said.

"Oh," I replied. "I just... needed some more time."

He nodded and turned away from the window. "Then you're leaving now?"

I nodded, shifting the bag of weapons on my back. "Just needed to pick up a few things."

He walked over and pulled the bag off my shoulder. "I'll wait outside."

I watched him leave with a surprised expression. What the hell was that all about? I walked over to the closet near the window and took a quick glance outside. I realized what he had been watching.

Hinata was still out there, moving through the same kata but with fewer mistakes this time. I shook my head before realizing I was going to do the same thing myself, train even if my body wasn't ready yet.

I walked outside a few minutes later and Neji handed me the sign out form. I thought about protesting and yelling at him for taking charge but I think in his own way, he was trying to get me out of my rut too. Just in a more roundabout way then even my father had used.

"Let's go," he said as soon as I was done. "I need your help with something."

I nodded, remember a bit of the conversation I had with Hinata. Maybe she and I weren't the only ones who needed to recover from something. He might not tell me right away but I figured I would do the only thing I could.

I would help him along.


	5. 5 Nunchaku

**5 – Nunchaku**

Watching Lee train again brought a smile to my face. I still wanted to kill him for leaving so soon after his surgery on the doomed mission to save Uchiha, but he had come back, looking so proud of the fact that he had gotten to help a bit that I couldn't stay mad at him for long.

Neji was still recovering, which was frightening in its own way. He had never been beaten up so badly in a fight as he had this time. The gaping hole in shoulder had almost been too much. I had visited him a few times but only when he was unconscious. I knew him well enough by now to know that Neji wouldn't want people fretting over him in his weakened state.

"Did you see that?" Lee called out and I had to bring myself back quickly to cheer on his newest move.

"That was very good Lee," Gai-sensei said evenly. It was a bit odd to find him acting more reserved then normal, as though Gai-sensei's infallible spirit had faltered for a moment. "Let's stop for now."

"But Gai-sensei!" Lee cried. "If I don't complete a fifty flying roundhouse kicks, I'll have to run around the town a hundred times."

"I think you've done enough for today. In fact," and now Gai-sensei graced us with his usual bright smile, "I think you've recovered enough that you will be able to accompany Tenten on the next mission! Hokage-sama gave her approval, so you're back to full ninja status!" He threw up a thumb and Lee began to cry.

"What is it?" I asked quickly, hoping that would preempt the chorus of names and flow of hugs that were surely about to begin. I hoped there would be some travel involved, I was tired of being stuck in the village.

Gai-sensei outlined the basics of the mission to us, something about delivering a dozen or so messages to families scattered across the outskirts of Konoha. It wasn't something that would make for a grand adventure or anything but Gai-sensei was going to let us do this one by ourselves.

He kept working though I knew he had seen me. I was prepared for him to throw something at me but he just lumbered about until he was done.

"Going off again?" he asked, coughing slightly as he turned.

My brow furrowed a bit. "I was but now I'm thinking you might be sick."

He waved me off. "Just a cough, nothing more. You get that working around the smoke as long as I have. Where you off to now?"

I shrugged. "Just around the outskirts to deliver invitations."

"Wedding invites?" he asked.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

He shrugged. "Most of the families in Konoha like to get some ninja to deliver them. Status symbol and all that. When your mom and I were married, we had about a dozen ninja traveling across the country, bringing in all her relatives."

I stopped. He had just brought up the forbidden topic: my mother. I didn't want to press him about her, but the subject came up so rarely that I couldn't miss the chance to explore it further. "Yeah? Didn't that cost a lot?"

He shrugged. "Your mother had the money but they did it for free. Most of them were my friends," he smiled a bit. "Figured this was the least they could do."

I smiled. "You have good friends."

He looked down at the weapon in his hands and nodded slightly. "Yeah, I did." From the tone of his voice, I knew that the topic was closed again. And I knew better than to pry any further.

"Here," he said, tossing them over to me. "Nunchakus. By themselves, those two poles can do some mean damage. But with that chain in the middle? You get more speed and a much more vicious attack. You should have it down pat before you get home."

I smiled and went off to pack my new weapon away with the rest of my gear. A few minutes later, my father was bellowing up the stairs that Lee had arrived, and I hurried down before Lee's enthusiasm could wear him out.

As I left, I made him promise not to work too hard and to get some bed rest, warning that if he was still coughing by the time I got back, I was going to drag him to nearest medic-nin. That, at least, seemed enough to make him promise me he'd take it easy.

"So what did you get?" Lee asked, moving behind me and pointing to the bulge the nunchakus made in my pack.

I pulled them out and let him examine them. "These are pretty cool," he said, giving them a quick twirl.

"You look good using them," I smiled.

He handed them back, shaking his head in protest. "You know me, Tenten, I'm only good with Taijutsu."

I examined them again as we walked down the street, slowly twirling them on either side of me as Gai-sensei had shown me once in training, picking up the pace as I gained more confidence in their use. It was only as we arrived at the first village that I realized two things: the first was that the nunchakus were unlike any of the weapons I had trained with before. The second was that Lee hadn't said a word since he had handed them back to me.

"Here's the first address," I said, pulling him towards the third house down the street listed on our itinerary. I knocked loudly on the door, and when it opened, I quickly explained our purpose to the woman there. She nodded slightly and reached forward to sign for the letter, closing the door without a word of thanks when she was done. I gave the door an irate look and walked off, Lee trailing behind me.

"Well THAT was highly unsatisfying," I yawned. "The lady didn't even look impressed."

Lee merely nodded at me, continuing to shuffle forward. I came to a full stop, glaring at him until he realized I'd stopped moving and turned around to face me. When he did, I noticed that the usual cheeriness was gone from his face.

"What is it?" I asked, suddenly very worried. This wasn't like him at all. When he didn't answer, I grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out of town. If I had to shake it out of him, I would, because having Lee act like this was unnerving in the least.

We stopped near a lake not far from the road. Letting go of Lee, I crossed my arms to show that I wasn't budging until we had had this out. He let out a sigh and walked towards the water, kneeling down to pick up stones to skip across the water.

"It's just... Sometimes, I feel like I'm the weak link in the group," He confessed, not looking at me.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I demanded.

"Neji is always going to be stronger then me," he continued. "And you… you're getting stronger every day. I think one day, I'm going to look around and you'll both be gone."

I stared at Lee's back a moment, before moving to stand beside him, my gaze resting on the water.

"..That's what I think about you and Neji sometimes," I replied softly.

"Really?" he asked, finally turning to look at me. I nodded. "But you're so good with weapons and you've got some great jutsu mastered!"

"So do you," I countered.

"But I can't use chakra," he said.

"And my taijutsu will never be close to yours," I retorted. "So I'll cover you with genjutsu when I can and you cover me with taijutsu."

"And Neji?"

I paused. It was true that Neji was the 'perfect ninja' and might not need us in that sense, but...

"_But after that… he just never smiled again. I was just hoping… that maybe for you…"_

…I was beginning to think that he needed us in another way.

"He needs us, just not in a way he's willing to admit yet," I stated ambiguously.

"Look…" Kneeling a moment, I pulled free my newest weapon from my pack. "You, me and Neji, we… we're like this nunchaku." I passed it to him as I spoke, Lee letting each baton roll across his fingers, the chain jingling slightly as it moved. "Those two poles are strong on their own, but when you attach the chain, they become something completely different. Something better."

"..I guess," he said softly. Hand tightened around one of the batons, Lee began to twirl the nunchakus, heavy brows tightening in thought.

I stood up and brushed off my legs. "We need to get moving. Still lots of deliveries to do." Lee tried to hand back the nunchakus to me, but I wouldn't take them. "Like I said," I grinned, "you look better with them." And before he could protest, I started to walk away.

We made our way quickly to the next village and I smiled as I caught Lee constantly trying to figure out how to twirl his new weapon effectively. A few times he bumped himself on the head and I had to refrain from laughing.

When we finally strolled into town, I grabbed his arm. "I have a great idea," I told him, knowing that this would help lighten his mood.

The first recipient of the invite might not have been impressed, but the rest of them were.

First, I hit the bell of their door with a senbon. When it opened, Lee would appear to deliver the message in a flurry of wind and leaves. As soon as they'd signed the scroll and he handed the invitation over to them, I would toss a few smoke bombs, letting him disappear without a trace.

By the time we'd finished, we were convinced that we had found our true calling. In fact, we were already thinking of incorporating a fleet of shinobi messengers under the flag of "Ten-Lee's Ninja Deliveries - Faster Than a Poof of Smoke!"

Apparently, our antics had so highly impressed the family members that they were all calling our contactor to tell him that. Needless to say, we had a nice tip waiting for us when we got home and a free dinner on Gai-sensei.

But the best surprise was having Neji come out with us.

The hospital had just cleared him and now he was trying to make a show of being okay. We didn't ask him how he was, because Neji would have hated that, so instead we related our misadventures as couriers over the course of our meal. Gai-sensei laughed openly and was quite impressed when he saw the nunchakus hanging at Lee's side. Neji was quiet for the most part, but that was normal for him and to expected after his long period of recovery.

Until Lee began demonstrating with the nunchaku and hit himself on the head again.

Neji smirked. Lee got mad. Then promptly challenged him to a duel. Gai-sensei laughed, I worried a bit about Neji's injuries, but didn't say anything out loud, settling for complaining that it would ruin dinner instead. Neji, of course, accepted and we had to move things outside

As we made ready to leave the restaurant, Lee tapped my shoulder and winked. "I think I see what you mean about him," he said, before skipping outside to prepare for the fight.

I had to smile at that. Lee had picked up on the fact that Neji was still not over his near-death experience, and that he needed things to be back to normal.

So what better way for Lee to help than to challenge him to a fight like he always did?

Since the first day, we had been something of a motley crew. And I think, in some ways, Lee's concerns were right. We would grow differently, and eventually we'd walk our own paths.

But he was wrong to worry that we would ever leave someone behind. In our own different ways we needed each other, and that would keep us together.

Like, for example, right now? Lee needed me to go get him a medic.

* * *

_Author's note : Special thanks to Farli with all the help editing :)_


	6. 6 Sai

**6 – Sai**

It was that moment Gai-sensei always lectured about. It's amazing how much of his dribble I thought I could tune out only to find that it haunted me the times I needed it most. And as much as I hated to admit it, Gai-sensei was right… again.

Across from me, my opponent was heaving as he tried to relax. Our fight had gone on much longer then anticipated. I heard that the odds makers had put him as the winner, 24 to 1. It crossed my mind that with odds like that, even our Hokage would bet against me. Considering the way she was screaming in the stands, though, I had a feeling her money was riding on me and the way most of her bets went… I almost wished she had gambled on the other guy.

The ninja from Hidden Rock was looking at me, probably calculating his next move. I could see the scoreboard behind him, blaring the fact that Rock and Leaf were tied in this last part of the Chuunin exam. A scrolling text reminded the audience that this was the final match-up and that the winner would determine which Hidden Village won the tournament.

But it didn't tell them about how medics had to carry Ino off the field when she lost. Or how Sakura had beaten the next opponent into such a state that the official had to pull her off before she did permanent damage. It didn't talk about Lee's fight against a genjutsu master and how he still managed to win. Or about the ease that Neji walked over his opponent. No mention of Kiba forfeiting when Akamaru was badly injured or how Chouji brought down his opponent a second after he had already lost the match. How Shino had met his match in a snake summoner or how Hinata had avenged him in a stunning victory.

And it certainly didn't express the way I felt right now, knowing that everyone was counting on me to win this so not just so we were one step close to getting a Chuunin rank, but for the pride of our village. Even if I was a long shot according to the odds.

So now, standing in the field, my weapons pouch empty and the scrolls long since used, I had a flashback to Gai-sensei telling us that you fought best when you were fighting to protect someone important. And I had six important people right now so it was no wonder the guy was hurting.

He attacked suddenly, splitting himself up into three shadow clones. I was out of any projectiles so I had to move quickly. A quick foot sweep at the ground and I managed to get enough dirt into the air to blind the real one. The fake ones came through and met the wrong end of my kunais.

The thing I hadn't counted on was them turning into stone and capturing the last two weapons I had. In my surprise, my opponent attacked my exposed stomach. The blow was perfect and I was eating dirt as I got pushed back twenty meters.

Lying on the ground, I could hear the thunderous applause from the Rock side. In the past, this was when Naruto would start yelling and cheering you on. But he wasn't here anymore so there was no pep talk waiting for me. No great revelation. He had been Lee and Neji's cheerleader. All I had was the dirt to talk to.

"Get up!" someone screamed from our section. It wasn't masculine and when I looked up, I was somewhat surprised to see Sakura screaming her lungs out. We hadn't been friends and she hadn't even cheered for Ino this loud. And suddenly, it all made sense.

Before I left, my father had taken me out to dinner as an apology for not being able to go with me. "There's a lot of work to be done," he said. "Don't want the newest Chuunin coming home to find her home's been repossessed."

He laughed and told stories about his chuunin exam, just like before my first one. He tried to get me to not worry about it but it wasn't working well as it had last time.

"You're miles ahead of where you were the last time," he said. "Why are you still so worked up over this?"

"I don't want to fail my team, I guess."

He sighed and let the silence draw out. "Honey, at some point, your team won't be there when you need them. It happens when you get more experienced, more missions are solo or they're Anbu and you're not. It's just the way life works."

"So I shouldn't care about them?"

"No, that's not it at all. Your genin cell… it's a special thing, like a family. So you can't fail them anymore then you could fail me. See, at some point, you don't get to spend as much time with them as you used to. But somewhere deep inside, they're still a part of you and they always will be."

He had pulled out the latest weapon, a pair of sais, and given it me then. "More appropriate now that I have a lesson behind them. They have three prongs, like your team. All three work together like a charm. But when it comes to the end, the middle one is the only part that can land a final blow." He had handed them to me and smiled. "In life, in the end, it's always just you that has to face whatever comes around. But that doesn't mean your friends and family won't be with you in some form when you do."

I think he and Gai-sensei should write a book. How to pep talk teenage girls so they can face the world.

Sakura's still cheering and I realized it was because Naruto couldn't. She was letting that part of him she kept inside come out.

I was out of weapons but I knew I could still beat this guy. Inside of me were years of practicing against Lee and Neji. I could take blow and give them back threefold. I stood up and watch as surprise dotted his face. And while he was staring at me, I couldn't help but give the trademark Hyuuga smirk.

The guy blinked and I was gone. I didn't have Lee's speed but trying to keep up with him had given me an edge. I was at his side in an instant, an elbow placed in his ribs and cracking them with the force. He stumbled and tried to recover but a spinning kick sent him to the ground.

I followed him down, sitting on his back and pulling one of his arms back by the hand. I twist the wrist and forced his elbow to bend. I used my free hand to push on it, forcing the shoulder to come close to popping.

He cried out and I made the mistake of loosening it a bit, letting him use a free arm to throw some dirt into my eyes. That stunned me just long enough for him to reverse his position and break free.

The fight turned ugly then. I realized he was out of chakra and weapons like me and it was down to hand to hand combat. But then, he hadn't had to deal with trying to pull apart two squabbling teammates for several years. Somehow a punch by him was nothing compared to one of theirs.

My jaw must have been an ugly black and blue mess but he should have hit higher to knock me out. I had a chance to retaliate and all I had to do was pull out one of Lee's patented temple strikes. The guy didn't even blink as he crumpled to the ground. A few seconds later, I had won.

A lot happened after that, the stands where the rest of the combatants were emptied out and there was a lot of celebrating. I stayed as long as I could but after a few hugs from Lee, I couldn't hold back the grimaces. I tried to tell Neji I was fine but he just picked me up and threw me over his shoulder, dragging me to the medic with an excited Lee following.

After I had passed the inspection of the medics and my teammates, we went out to meet the others. The final awards ceremony was held and the number of green vests handed out to Konoha ninja was an impressive number. More importantly, Team Gai had all been promoted. Even over the din of the crowd, I swore I heard Gai-sensei cheering about the victory of youth.

It was decided a victory dinner was in order. We set a time to meet and it wasn't hard to find the place when the hour struck. The singing gave it away.

We went inside only to find the older Shika-Ino-Cho formation happily drunk off their asses. Even Hiashi was having problems keeping his stoic appearance as they started to sing. Ino was yelling at her teammates for their lack of control over their parents. Hinata was blushing as Kiba related her fight to Shino. Gai-sensei and Kakashi were participating in some odd game again. And I'm pretty sure Asuma was hitting on Kurenai.

And in the corner, Sakura was watching them with a sad smile. I told Lee what I wanted to order and walked over to her.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey," she replied.

"Thanks for cheering for me."

She blinked. "You heard me?"

"Oh yeah," I laughed. "You must have gotten that technique from Naruto."

She smiled a bit. "The loud mouth never could keep quiet during a fight."

I nodded with a laugh. "Hey, you wanna make Lee's day and come sit with us? I'll keep him in line, no freaky hearts or anything."

She laughed and nodded, quickly following into step behind us. Lee almost dropped half the food he was carrying when he saw her there. Neji let out a snide comment was rewarded by a kick in the shin by me.

Hokage-sama came in a while later, already drunk but extremely happy. Looks like her bet had paid off because she picked up the whole tab. Shizune was behind her, trying to control the older woman but it was to no avail.

The sun was peeking up the horizon by the time it was over. I think I slept but I don't really remember that part. I just remember being on the road again, trudging with the rest of the people on the way back to Fire Country. We were escorting the nobility back to their homes so our speed was diminished. Only the Hokage and Shizune had gone ahead, not wanting to leave Konoha leaderless for too long.

I wanted to run with them. I had someone waiting back home who promised a warm dinner and to listen to all my stories. I wanted to show him my new vest and give him the blow by blow of my fight. My father said I could never fail him and I hadn't. I wanted to show him my achievement.

It was two weeks before we even got to the gate and I somehow managed to contain my excitement. Lee and Neji had been behaved for the most part but I think they sensed my anxiety to get home. That or when they had tried to start a fight I had spent three hours yelling at them. We weren't children anymore, we had to act like respectable ninja now that we had Chuunin rank.

The gates were open and a few people had gathered to welcome us home. Lee took off running, wanting to go spread the word to everyone he knew. Neji said he'd walk me home since it was on the way.

"So what next?" he asked

I looked over at him with a shrug. "B rank missions?"

He smirked. "Well obviously. But I was speaking more long term."

"Jounin obviously."

"And then?"

I shrugged again. "I don't know really. Haven't given it that much thought."

"What about ANBU?" he asked. "Lee said he'd try and it's been my goal."

"You think I should?" I asked.

He paused and nodded. "You've got enough talent, the weapon mastery alone makes you a viable candidate. And… it wouldn't be the same without the three of us would it?"

Any confusion on my face melted into a giant smile. He was worried about losing his team too. "Yeah, I guess you're right," I replied. "ANBU then. We'll all work for it together."

We walked up to my house and my feet suddenly started to slow. Something felt off but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"What is it?" Neji asked.

I looked up at the sky and frowned. The cloudless blue sky was perfect, not marred by the usually black smoke that poured from the forge.

"The forge is out," I whispered, my pace suddenly quickening once again.

I ran into the house, heading to the back and into the smithy. The forge was cold to the touch, the embers a sickly gray. I let them fall from my hands and started to look around. All the equipment was perfectly in place, a thin layer of soot had formed over them.

My heart began to race as I looked around. I started to call for him but there was no reply. I ran up the stairs, barely realizing Neji hadn't followed me inside. I reached the next floor and threw open the door to my father's bedroom.

The bed was perfectly made. I ran my fingers against it and bits of dust picked up on my fingers. I saw it then, laying on the floor and shattered beyond recognition. The bedside table had fallen and the worst casualty was the picture my father kept there. It was the only one of the three of us, before mom left.

"Tenten."

"Dad?" I asked, turning around.

But it wasn't him. The person in the door was my idol, the one I had always looked to as a goal. Tsunade looked at me, her face stoic and unemotionally.

"Tenten," she started again. "There was…"

"An accident?" I asked, scooping up the broken frame. "Did he cut his hand? I always told him to be careful when I'm not here."

"Tenten…"

"He never could take care of himself."

"I'm sorry."

And that broke the spell. I knew it wasn't a cut hand or something simple like that.

"Where is he?" I asked, trying to ignore the crack in my voice.

"Your father was sick. He has been for a while."

I nodded. "The cough. He said it was from the soot, the smoke… but its okay. You fixed him right?"

Tsunade's stoicism faltered a bit. "I tried. Everyone did. But…"

"Don't say it. Please, don't say… " I whispered, trying to keep myself under control.

"It was… just his time."

I started to cry, the tears hitting the broken frame in my hands. My fingers started to curl and the glass began to dig into them. I think Tsunade told me to stop but I couldn't. I just saw him in the picture smiling and I couldn't believe what she said was true. It wasn't possible.

He was my hero. My strength. My best friend. Tsunade had been an idol, a far away goal. In the end, it had only been him. He was the only one I wanted to make proud. The only one I strove to be like. He was everything.

Someone tried to pull me away but I held fast to the last image of him, yelling in protest, screaming so that my throat got raw. I could still smell him under the dust, the mix of fire and sweat. And suddenly my teammates were there, Neji obviously getting Lee the moment he saw Tsunade and she told him. I heard Lee begging me to let go, but I kept driving the glass in as if the pain could make it less real. I felt Neji calloused hands trying to pull me free of the grip. But I knew the second I let go, it would be over. He'd really be gone.

I heard Tsunade tell them to hold me still and there was a prick at my neck. A sedative, she said, was the only thing that would work now.

And as it started to seep into my blood stream, I could only stare out the window at the clear blue sky. The smoke from the forge was gone. The smells of molten metal were gone. And worse of all, he was gone too.


	7. 7 Tanto

**7 – Tanto**

Teaching at the academy was the best decision I could have made. At least that's what I told myself everyday because I honestly believed it would come true if I did. It was ten months since I became a chuunin, ten months since my father died and I was trying to rebuild my life.

My teammates helped me as best they could in the beginning. They called relatives, made the arrangements, even cooked for me. But they couldn't take away the pain or emptiness his passing had left within me. As the months passed on, I realized nothing would.

Hokage-sama had given me time off but being alone in the empty house had made things worse. I found myself finding any excuse to get out of there. Long walks through town, shopping trips for things I didn't need, anything to keep myself busy and to try to forget.

I passed by the academy a lot and would end up just sitting under the trees there to relax. This place was filled with such happy memories for me. I could see Lee chasing after the boys who said he couldn't be a ninja. I remembered the way Neji would stroll by confidently, ignoring all the squealing fan girls. I remembered the lunches we shared, the jokes we laughed over.

The past was this beautiful place that I wanted to live in. A place where my father welcomed me home and my friends didn't have a care in the world. Now Lee was still trying to fully recover from his injuries while Neji was training for the jounin exam. And my father…

I took the job of weapons teacher because the Academy was the only place I could find peace. It was hard at first. I honestly felt bad for all the senseis that had to put up with us over the years. But pretty soon, the kids realized how good I was at what I taught and they came to respect me.

It wasn't perfect but it was a start. I left the old house and rented a small apartment near the school. Most of the things from home didn't fit so I just sold them. I had a bit of money saved up and had calculated that a few more years as a teacher meant I could buy a house anywhere I wanted.

I should have been happy. Most people thought I was. But not Lee and Neji. I had lunch with Lee one day and he saw through everything before the food had even arrived.

"I'm the best teacher the academy has had in a while," I told him as if trying to justify my decision.

"Then why do you look so miserable?" he demanded.

"I'm not miserable," I retorted.

"I've know you for years," he replied softly. "You never told us when you were unhappy but I could tell. Your eyes don't shine the same way they do when you're happy."

I ended lunch early, making up some lame excuse about grading papers. There was a voice in the back of my head that was always saying the same thing. It was hard enough to drown that out. I didn't need to hear it from Lee too.

I shouldn't have been surprised when Neji showed up at the end of class the day after. He and Lee didn't always get along but for some reason, they always managed to team up against me. The worst part was that Neji didn't say anything for a long time. He just stared at me with those unreadable eyes of his until he finally decided to grace me with some words.

"Why are you still here?" he demanded.

I blinked because for a moment, I thought I was back in the hospital recovering from my fight with Temari.

"The kids just got let out," I replied crisply. "I wanted to finish up…"

"No," he interrupted. "Why are you still _here_, in this place instead of out doing missions with us?"

I hated him so much at that point. I had spent ten months trying to construct this life and he was treating it like it was nothing. Like it was some whim I had gone on and gotten too caught up in.

"This is what I do now," I replied, collecting the papers on the desk.

"Are you joking?"

My grip on the papers tightened. "I'm sorry that you disapprove," I spat. "But this is my decision."

"This is not a choice," Neji replied. "It's a place to hide."

And with that, he had nailed the problem right on the head. All the careful constructed lies of starting over and finding my place in the world were gone. I was hiding. It was obvious to everyone but me. But that was because I had wanted it that way. And Neji had ruined it.

"It's what I want to do," I continued trying to maintaining my façade.

"You're wasted here," Neji said. "Even the teachers say you're overqualified."

"They're just being nice," I tried. "Just because I'm good at one thing…"

"You are great at many things," he interrupted. "And teaching is not the way to best use them. Konoha needs…"

"Konoha needs too much," I yelled back. "Why did Konoha do for me? For my father? They let him die while I was away. I didn't even get the chance to…" I stopped and dropped the papers on the desk. I was resolute in my decision to never cry after the funeral.

"Do you think I didn't think like that when my father died?" he demanded. "When I was a child, do you think a day went by when I didn't blame Konoha and my own family for his death?"

I looked up at him and saw the strain in his eyes, not from Byakugan but from something more. If I had been in the right frame of mind, I would realize for the first time since I had met him, Neji was starting open up.

"I did," he continued, the knuckles in his hand turning white from the strain. "Until I realized that there was no one to blame. It was just…"

"Fate?" I laughed bitterly.

"His choice," he replied. "Just like it was your father's to not tell you how sick he was. Our parents sacrificed so much to give us peace. They did so by protecting us as best they could from harsh reality and they did so by serving this village. All the people here do.

"And they all die," he continued. "In their bed at an old age or fighting to protect this village, everyone dies. But at least our fathers could die knowing that they had given us the best chance possible. Their decision was to give everything they had so that was true. And you're wasting his effort by rotting away in this place."

"Get out," I finally said. I didn't want to hear anymore.

"Do you really think he would be happy to see you like this?"

"GET OUT!"

He waited a few more seconds but I couldn't bring myself to even look at him. I wanted to throw everything in the room at him. I wanted to make him shut up and go away. My father died, he died alone and it was my fault.

By the time I managed to collect myself, Neji was gone. I left the papers on the desk and started to walk home, hoping the night air would help calm my nerves. But it didn't. Instead I found myself heading to the one place I had tried to avoid for so long.

It was empty and cold but that was hardly a surprise. The weeds had started to take over and a few of the windows were broken. The place I had grown up in was starting to fall into disrepair.

I remembered how proud my father was when we moved here from the tiny apartment he had above his master's house. He had used every last cent he had saved to set up his own smithy. But he was so happy that he was no longer somebody's apprentice.

It came back to me, all the hours he had spent toiling at the forge while I was away. How no matter how tired he was, he always managed to spend time listening to me talk about the academy. How it never mattered how much work got backlogged while he taught me how to use a different weapon. How there was always food on the table and new clothes if I needed them.

In every memory I had, my father was there, in the background and always ready with a helping hand. Neji was right, of course. All my father had wanted for me was a good life. And he knew how much it would have hurt me to know he was sick.

"Tenten."

I jumped at the female voice. I didn't recognize it but it had said my name with such familiarity. I looked at the source and found myself face to face with a dream. It was strange because I was sure that my memory of her was warped by childhood fantasies. Only staring at her now, I realized everything I remembered was true.

She was beautiful, long brown hair elaborately piled on the top of her head, brown eyes that were immaculately lined with liner and makeup. Porcelain skin and soft hands that wrung nervously at the edges of the elegant kimono she wore. She was the image of perfection.

I couldn't say anything. What do you say to a mother you haven't seen in more then a decade? So she had to do the talking. "I guess you know how I am. Your father… wanted me to come see you after he died."

"You knew?" I asked, suddenly finding my voice.

She nodded a bit. "He wrote to me… often. I wanted to see how you were growing up."

"Why?" I demanded, suddenly very bitter. "You left us, why should you have cared?"

She didn't look hurt, just very sad. "I didn't want to leave. But my family…" She let out a sigh. "It was complicated. I just couldn't stay."

I eyed her suspiciously. "So why are you here now?" There was only one reason for her return in my mind. "I don't have to come back with you. I can do fine on my own."

She shook her head. "I wouldn't ask. I know how much this place means to you," she whispered. "When I left, I wanted you to come with me but… even back then your father knew that the life I had would not suit you." She smiled. "He was always good at that, you know. As a baby, you would cry and he would know exactly what you needed."

She trailed off, somewhat uncomfortable. I watched her movements, trying to search for a reason that she would come back here, now.

"He was worried about you," she said, answering the question on my mind. "He was afraid that… you might get lost after he was gone." She looked around the house with a small frown. "I think he was right."

"What would you know," I replied, leaning against the wall.

"I know that he was proud of you," she said. "Every letter was filled with stories of what you had done. How you had improved on one skill or learned a new one. But I know he was worried at the same time. He always thought he wasn't giving you the best life possible. And then he would wonder if you wouldn't have done better with me."

She paused and looked at the house, as if taking in the whole thing and not just the decaying outside. "I think he was wrong about that. I could have given you the life of a lady but… I think only he could give you the life you were made for."

She looked down at the ground. "I didn't come here to bring you with me. I just wanted to make sure you knew how proud he… how proud both of us are of what you have become." She shook her head. "He was a fool to worry. We both know he was the best parent you could have ever had."

I started to cry. And this mother who I barely knew was consoling me. She was hugging me and trying to get me to calm down. But I was lost in her words and in Neji's. Why did he do all he did for me? I didn't understand why he would sacrifice so much just to give me a good life.

I felt so guilty too though, for hiding from things and finding comfort in the past. It wasn't what he would have wanted. He had chosen to die alone so I could take the exam without worrying about him. The tradeoff was unfair in my mind but as Neji had said, he had made a choice.

After a while, I walked her back to her carriage and we said good-bye. She wanted me to write and I said I would try. Before she left, she reached into the obi of her kimono and pulled out a small black dagger.

"Your father said he often gave you new weapons when he wanted you to learn a lesson," she said. "I only have one but I want you to have it."

I looked at it and instantly knew what it was. A tanto, a small blade that many women kept on them for defense. I pushed it out of the sheath and saw the mark of my father on the blade.

"It was the first thing he ever made by himself," she said. "I've always kept it close, to remind me of him. But I think you need it more now."

I nodded dumbly. "Thanks. I just… don't understand why he…"

She smiled and put a hand on my cheek. "Someday you will."

I watched the carriage disappear and ended up standing in the dark for much longer after that. I didn't understand the reasons why a parent would sacrifice that much but I knew too that I couldn't let him down. I headed home, back to our old house, to draft the letter of resignation for the Academy.


	8. 8 Katana

**8 – Katana**

"I thought we could go out for dinner, just the two of us."

It's amazing how words sound when you've waited so long to hear them. I wanted to relish them, enjoy them, live in the moment but I couldn't.

It's not that I wasn't happy. Over the past five years, things have changed. Well, Lee was always going to be Lee, the little brother I never had. We laugh and go out together occasionally but it's never been going to go beyond that.

But Neji… Neji was different. Ever since my father died and he helped pulled me out of my rut, he's been changing. In the beginning it was just bits of conversation here and there, little facts I never knew about him that he finally decided to talk about.

He loves birds. One year, Lee and I chipped in to get him a pet parakeet in a cage. He seemed to think it was a nice enough gift but the next day, he let the bird fly free. I apologized for getting him a gift he didn't like. He responded with saying it should go wherever it wanted. I think it's still in the trees outside his window because every so often I hear a bird singing there. And that chirp always makes him smile.

He takes time each day to mediate. I tried it once with him but I just ended up falling asleep in the temple. He had to carry me back home because I wouldn't wake up. I told him I was just in that deep a trance but he just shook his head and told me I was a horrible liar.

He misses his father sometimes. I visit my dad's grave regularly just to say hi but Neji doesn't have one to go to. I told him that he can just relay message to his father through mine. He said he didn't believe me but he still joined me occasionally. He started bringing rice cakes which my dad was never really fond of. I asked Hinata about it and she said that she remembers Hizaishi always eating them.

There were other things too. Last year, we took Lee out to celebrate his birthday. There was a strict no alcohol rule, for obvious reasons. Some guy sent over a drink for me while we were there and when I didn't drink it, he took it as an insult. I mean it's not the first time I heard a string of insults thrown in my direction so I didn't really care.

Neji and Lee took a bit more offense to it. Lee started to lecture the guy on why it wasn't a nice thing to say while Neji just broke the guy's nose. No warning or anything. Just a punch and the guy was knocked out, sprawled on the floor. His friends just dragged him out there and Neji sat back down like nothing happened.

Of course since that day, not a single guy in a Konoha bar dared hit on me but at the same time, I didn't mind it at all. Because by then, I was starting to realize that I didn't see Neji like I saw Lee, just as a friend and a comrade. He was becoming something more.

But if you expected tomes of love poetry and a lot of general sappiness from me, you are way off. Face it, this was Hyuuga Neji. He didn't operate under the normal set of laws that guide most boys. He still believed in fate and I wasn't going to be bold enough to assume that it included me.

So I waited because I was good at that. Hey, try hanging out with Lee on a daily basis and you learn patience pretty quickly. I figured I wasn't going anywhere so there was no real rush. I could just wait for Neji to make up his mind.

At least that's what I told myself. But after two years, I started to think that maybe I was right about not being part of the grand scheme of his destiny. I talked to Lee about it because there was no one else I could trust. I was getting closer to the other kunoichi from the year before me but at same time, secrets never stayed secrets for long in that clique.

I brought him to a nice, secluded teashop to talk to him. We talked about a few things at first, how training was going, how Sakura was still not interested in him, the same old, same old really. And then, somewhere in between dango orders, I blurted it out because I couldn't take holding it in anymore.

"I think I'm in love with Neji."

His response was something along the lines of the following.

"Wait… you… Neji…"

After I broke his brain, I figured Lee might not have been the right person to talk too. But he managed to pull himself together enough to offer one piece of stellar advice.

"It's just… well… Neji is… kind of… dense."

Of all the ways to describe the prodigy of our class, Lee's had never occurred to me. There had been incidents though. Like Ino's story of how he blatantly ignored her during the first Chuunin exam. Hinata said he had never brought a girl home or showed remote interest in anyone her father had introduced to him.

Maybe Lee was right. Maybe Neji was just a bit… dense. So maybe it would take some maneuvering on my part. Which is when I decide to do the stupidest thing I've ever done in my life… I asked the other girls for help.

They mean well, I know that. But after a week suffering under their 'ideas' of how to attract a man… well, we'll just say I'd rather face every member of Akatsuki at once then attempt to live through that again.

First were the attempts to make Neji jealous. Apparently this involved going out with other guys to see if he would notice. Unfortunately since the incident in the bar, the pickings were slim… meaning we only had a few teammates to choose from.

I should have bailed right then. The moment names like Naruto and Kiba and the word date get brought together, anyone in their right mind would have run for Suna. But they promised it would be group dates first so I managed to convince myself that there wasn't any real harm in it.

It was actually kind of fun. I spent most of the time arm wrestling Kiba and beating him at it, which he didn't take too well to. Naruto just joked around the entire time and I couldn't help but join in. The boy is such an endless supply of energy that I realized right away I wasn't his type. He obviously needed someone quieter to counter his hyper personality.

After that little display, the girls decided that dating was not an option until I learned how to act a bit more like a lady. I thought I was just fine in that department, having been trained in female subjects at the academy.

Hinata tried to show me how to pour tea. Sakura spent some time on clothes and how to be cute. And then Ino spent a good few hours explaining the ins and outs of proper hair and skin care. She went through color coordination and make up techniques until I couldn't take anymore. At least Sakura and Hinata looked lost after a while as well.

All in all, it was a colossal failure. I thanked them for their time and just went home because a week of their attempts had left me completely drained. I spent the night alone in my house wondering exactly what I was supposed to do next.

Somehow, I ended up translating those thoughts in a letter to my mother. I didn't think she would really read all twelve pages of it or send any real response. It was mostly teenage girl angst, the stuff usually regulated to beaten up notebooks that were buried in the backs of closest for no one else to see. I told her about Neji, how he wanted to be ANBU like me, how he was a prodigy and so good at everything. I related all the things I had tried, mentioning everything from Lee's initial reactions to the girls' valiant efforts to change me. Then I sealed it and sent it away to her.

I went back to my normal routine for a few weeks, trying to ignore the way Ino chased after me with hair clips that matched my clothes. I trained, I went on missions with my teammates and everything seemed fine. I had almost forgotten about things when the package arrived.

It was an elaborate box hand delivered to me at my door step. It came with a long letter written by my mother who had apparently read every word I had written. Her reply wasn't as long as mine but I think it contained a more meaningful message them my jumbled mess of emotions had.

She told me a bit about how she and my father met. It was funny to read it from her perspective. How he stumbled through introductions and took several months to get the courage to ask her out. She described the first few dates, making sure to point out all the humorous things he had done.

And then she went into how it had ended. Her sadness was easy to see as she wrote of the weeks of arguments they had. How she wanted to bring him into her world while he continued to believe he could never be good enough for her family.

"In the end," she wrote, "it was that belief that was the final blow. Your father could not see us as equals in my world and I could not live outside it.

"The secret I learned in looking back at that is not to be just man and woman, rich and poor. It is to be equals, partners in everything."

And it made sense. No matter how much I tried to change things, I was never going to be anything other then me. And if that wasn't enough then… then that was my fate.

But the letter wasn't the only thing she sent me. Inside the box was a beautiful crafted katana with a small note attached to it.

"I hear ANBU rely on this as a primary weapon. It would be best to start training with it."

I smiled. Yeah… training.

The next ANBU exam was six months away. I got together with Lee and Neji and told them that should be our next goal. We had the mission experience and we just needed a few more rounds of training to get up to par for it.

Lee took to the idea immediately, of course. His youthful energy burst through as a spattering of training regimes we would have to do. Neji was a bit more reserved but after a few seconds of silence, he nodded in agreement. Maybe he didn't think we could do it. Maybe he was afraid we would hold him back. So I was determined to prove him wrong.

We each had our strengths but, no matter what we said, there were also weaknesses and it was important to balance them out. Lee had no skill in genjutsu or ninjutsu but Neji and I could cover that for him. Neji's skills were primarily defensive and close range combat so Lee and I would have to draw the enemies into his trap. And I could never hope to match Lee's strength or Neji's chakra but from when it came to weapons, I was deadly.

We used our missions to train our tactics. Lee was the first wave, baiting opponents and drawing them to Neji. There the two of them could fight hand to hand while I fired distance weapons. After a few months of this, I was good enough with the katana to stand and fight by their sides.

Our mission record was flawless. There was discussion on the council and a few weeks before the ANBU exam, we all received an invitation to take it. Gai-sensei suggested we train away from Konoha, just the three of us. So we packed up our gear and set out to a secluded campsite a few days away.

The training was intense, I won't lie. There were days I could barely make it to my tent before collapsing. But it was fun too. We were no longer three genin thrown together, we were really a team. We cooked and ate together. We laughed and told stories over the campfire. Well… Lee and I laughed but Neji did smile a few times.

I realized then that I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. Sure, I might have wanted something different with Neji but now I could be satisfied to have him just as a teammate and friend.

Saying we annihilated the ANBU exam would be an understatement. Even in separate testing, our individual skills were so sharpened from team training that the tests were cake. As a team, we set records, we blew by everyone and at the end, they admitted us not just as individuals but as a team with Neji as our captain.

Neji grumbled about being stuck with Lee again but I could see his smile under Lee's all encompassing hug of triumph. Gai-sensei took us out for dinner and some of the ANBU joined us, sharing their stories about our new jobs. It was a bit intimidating, especially when they talked about getting the tattoo but I put on a strong front.

Until I saw the needles. Hey, I like to throw them, I don't particularly like getting poked with them repeatedly. I stalled for as long as I could but there were other appointments that were coming soon. I tried to get out of it, even made it to the door but the next appointment ran into me.

"Where are you going?" Neji asked, looking down at my bare arm.

"Um," I stuttered, "for… a coffee break?"

He didn't buy it. I never could pass a lie by him. After the tattoo artist came out and explained, he took my hand and sat me down in the chair. I expected a lecture. I didn't expect him to pull up a chair next to me and sit there the entire time while I cringed and came close to breaking his hand.

Compared to getting the tattoo, the missions were much easier. They didn't start us out on S-rank missions right away of course. But the ones we got were supposed to be reasonably tough. We were just good at what we did.

This latest mission was probably the first problem we ever had. It was supposed to be a simple assassination. Lee was going to take out the body guards while Neji kept the door secure and I dealt with our main target.

Unfortunately someone had failed to tell us that the target's bodyguards were a couple of ANBU Mist-nin. It wasn't a real match since we outnumbered and outclassed them but the fight did manage to take out part of the building we were in. That brought the local authority and more attention then we needed.

Lee gave us his weights and took off to draw the police away. It gave us the chance to jump into the sewers and make our way out of town undetected. It was pretty nasty stuff but as a ninja, you need to learn to adapt to this situation. For example, I wrapped the katana higher up on my back to avoid the muck.

Neji decided to adapt by asking me out.

It took a few minutes for those words, those damned words I've waited to come out of his mouth, sink in. And then I let him have.

"HYUUGA NEJI I waited FIVE YEARS for you to ask me that, FIVE years of waiting and wondering, asking for advice, getting tortured by other girls and you pick now, NOW when I waist deep in SEWAGE, completely spent from a fight, covered in blood, dirt and who knows what else to ask me? YOU ARE THE DENSEST HUMAN BEING IN EXISTENCE!"

He just looked at me and smiled. "So I take it that's a yes."


	9. 9 Naginata

**9 – Naginata**

Fairy tales are a crock. The whole 'happily ever after' thing does not happen in the real world. What happens is a long story of ups and downs, fights and apologies, regrets and dreams come true. And it's never happily ever after until you're dead. But that doesn't mean you give up. The good times are worth fighting everything else for.

It wasn't an easy courtship at first. Being friends, even dating casually, was one thing but a relationship entailed things that neither of us had thought about. We were ninja and neither of us was willing to give up their job. Still, he worried about me and wanted me to take easier missions. Worse then that, he yelled when I said I was just as worried about him. We'd end up taking out half of a training hall before finally deciding neither of us was going to budge on the subject.

In the end, we both remained ANBU and just learned to trust each other to be smart enough to stay alive. It's not easy being alone in your home waiting for the guy you're in love with to come home. But when he finally makes it back, the reunion is worth it. Very worth it.

Which also brings me to another lesson learned. When a medic-nin says to avoid strenuous activity to allow injuries to heal, attempting to 'go at it slow' is not a proper solution. There's nothing like having the Hokage of the village lecture you in the middle of a waiting room about being patient.

So I learned to be patient… again. I figured that if Neji was going to take all those years to ask me out, I'd probably be at least forty when we got married.

Three months into the relationship he proposed. I could go into the details of the scene, how he had managed to wrangle vacation time from the ANBU captains and buy out all the rooms of a hot springs inn… but I don't remember the details. I just remember never having been happier. And a few other things that are things you don't discuss in public.

Explaining things to his family was harder then it would have been with anyone else's. After all, who was I but a kunoichi from a blacksmithing family? Sure, I was a weapon's master and an ANBU lieutenant and that was impressive. But compared to the scores of potential mates, I was at the bottom of the barrel.

Neji didn't ask me to bring my mother into it. He knew, like I did, that having a noblewoman in the family would probably end all argument. But… I felt like it was betraying my father, saying he wasn't good enough, and more, that I wasn't good enough.

Eventually, it was decided that Hiashi himself would determine whether the match was appropriate. Nervous does not begin to describe how I felt when we went to meet him. This was the man who had tormented Hinata for years until she became strong enough to be heir. He was the head of a family notorious for treating the Branch badly, forcing a curse seal on them so they would remain under control.

"Is this who you chose, Neji?"

That was all he said. And when Neji said yes, it was done. At the time, I didn't understand what passed between those two to make it go so easily. From what I heard, Hiashi was notorious for forcing people to be examined for months before being deemed worth. It wasn't until later Neji explained.

"Once, my uncle had to make a decision. But before he could, my father made the choice for him. I think, then… that this was my uncle's way of repaying him, by letting me make my own, but… for a better outcome."

Hyuuga are mysterious folk but I knew that before I got involved. So even after this strange exchange, it didn't surprise me that Hiashi asked us to wait a week before telling people what he had decided. I thought he'd have to maneuver things among Main house to make this union all right with them.

Three days later, he died. A day after his funeral, Hinata was made head of Main and a day after that, she abolished the division between Branch and Main. In telling us to wait, in knowing his end was near, Hiashi had granted freedom from the curse seal to any children we might have.

The wedding was insane. It was held on the Hyuuga estate, of course, and most of the Village had showed up. Gai-sensei cried, of course, about the beauty of the ceremony. Lee got into the sake but was quickly sedated by Sakura before things got out of hand. Naruto and Kiba attempt to get into a drinking contest but Hinata put a stop to that rather quickly. In fact, Hinata was the perfect hostess, all stuttering and nervousness gone. Well, until she caught the bouquet.

Three months after the honeymoon, I started getting sick. I went to the doctor while Neji was on a mission because I was pretty sure what they would tell me. And after a few tests, I had to put in my papers to ANBU to ask for a year of leave.

I always thought that someday I'd get to beat Neji in a fight. After all those years of training, you'd think I would have knocked him out at least once. Mind you, if I had known that all it would take is two little words, I would have done it earlier.

Poor Neji. Facing hordes of enemy nin is not an issue to him but the prospect of fatherhood seemed to make him pass out in an instant. I had to get Hinata to administer some first aid and the second she realized what happened, the entire population of Konoha knew.

It didn't matter that they did. A month later, it was pretty obvious I was carrying not one, but two little Hyuugas in my belly. My friends were amazed by my ability to take down an entire pizza in one sitting and not get sick. Chouji challenged me once but the poor boy couldn't keep up with the three of us.

The rest of Hyuuga itself was polite enough. They always offered to help, brought food and anything else I needed. But there was still a barrier. Despite having both the blessing of Hiashi and Hinata, I was still an outsider.

"But the kids will be accepted right?" I asked Neji one night, as he lay in the bed with his head on my belly, a custom he enjoyed on a nightly basis.

"They will. And you as well. Just give them time."

Time was all I had these days. Without a job, I had to find things to keep myself busy or else go stir crazy. I read books, wrote letters to my mother, anything I could think of to keep myself entertained.

And again it was my mother who showed me the way. She told me stories of when she was pregnant, sent books she had enjoyed, anything she could think of. When I was seven months into the pregnancy, she sent another large package.

Inside, once again, were a letter and a weapon. She knew I wasn't allowed to train like I usually did but the naginata was something I could learn to use within a few months. It was a long staff with a sharp blade at the top, originally used by infantry to cut the legs off of horses ridden by invading soldiers. Lately, though, it had become the noble woman's weapon of choice.

I realized why almost immediately. Even carrying the twins, the naginata and I moved with fluid motions. Bo training helped in learning it, but it was the blade at the top that made it a truly different weapon, a very deadly one at that.

I had Neji install a few hooks above the door so I could hang it there. I told him that that's what they did in my mother's part of the world. He responded by saying I shouldn't worry about things like that. After all, we were behind the gates of Konoha. What could possibly get to us here?

He went away on a mission soon after that. A week long one that stretched into something more like a month. Having a friend in the Hokage's office was definitely a benefit. Sakura promised to update me on what was happening so at least I knew that he was safe.

Konoha was not. Sound had finally grown into a strong enough nation to threaten it. And before we knew what happened, its army was at the gates, numbers greater then we had suspected. There were spies in Konoha that let them know when most of our ANBU were out on missions and who also let them in the back door.

Despite a quick response, a good number of them made it inside. ANBU hunted them in the streets while the civilians were forced to evacuate. Considering my state, I fell into the latter category. I wasn't exactly happy about that but I wasn't stupid either. I grabbed the few things I needed and was about to leave when the flood of Sound Nin hit the compound.

Sound made two mistakes that day. One was assuming that because Hinata was only a year into being head of the family, that she would be an easy target. I don't know exactly what happened but I saw the effects later. Apparently, she had not only learned Kaiten but had improved it enough to take out an entire building with it. You don't want to know what happened to the nin who got caught in it.

The second mistake was assuming that being pregnant made me a good hostage. I didn't have to see below the mask to know that the Sound nin that were charging towards my front door were uninformed men. Any woman would have known that a fellow woman would stop at nothing to protect her children. And anyone with proper intelligence would know I was a kunoichi.

The naginata hit the first one before they even realized what happened. It sliced him in two without a pause and turned on the second in the blink of an eye. The last one called for back up just as I got to him. Reinforcements meant there was no way I would be able to get out of here in time.

I warned the remaining Hyuuga about what was about to happen and we prepared to make a stand. The Hyuuga… they're a beautiful breed of fighters. Their movements are so delicate and yet deliver such a deadly blow that the bodies of Sound nin began to pile up in minutes. I did my best with the naginata but the months of pregnancy had sapped my strength and it got harder to fight, quicker then it used to.

I never fell. I kept fighting until the ANBU finally arrived. I even kept going until the remaining Leaf nin returned home, having been called back the moment the trap had been sprung.

I honestly feel sorry for any Sound nin that got in the way of Neji as he made his way home. Poor Lee looked slightly green as they made their way through the door. I got crushed beneath their hugs and it felt like I popped under the pressure.

And I had… but for a different reason.

Lee passed out because the thought of me giving birth was too much for him. Neji turned paler then I thought was possible. I'm just lucky that Hinata chose that moment to walk in and take command again.

The hospital was out of the question. The causalities were already flooding the rooms and fighting was still going on across the village. And since Hinata had had some medic-nin training, she knew what to do.

The labor itself didn't last long. I was a month early and obviously my body had panicked into thinking it had to get the children out now. Lee brought water in once or twice but then he made the mistake of getting close enough for me to grab. Neji eventually wrenched him free of my grip but come on, you don't ask a woman in labor if she is enjoying the beauty of giving birth.

Neji managed to maintain enough composure to last through the labor but the second the first boy came out he just stopped speaking and stared at the squalling bundle that Hinata passed to one of the Hyuuga near by.

I had to yank his hair to remind him we weren't done yet.

And so, during the massive invasion of Konoha by Sound, during the battle between the Elder Sannin that ended in the deaths of all three and the fight between the Younger Sannin that finally brought one of them home, our children were born. They were the first to be Branch and be free of the curse seal. First to be born into a world where the threat of Orochimaru and Sound would no longer exist.

But even with all the changes that were going on around us, I think the greatest change was what happened to Neji and I as we held out children for the first time. All those years of searching, of striving to reach some goal I didn't really understand, I finally realized why my parents had done what they did. I knew why my father had sacrificed so much because I knew I would do the same for my children. To be ninja, to work so hard to be the best you could be, even to give your life for it… it was to provide a safe world to the next generation. I got it, I finally got it.

And Neji… when the elder twin reached up and grabbed his hair, he laughed. And for the first time, I knew he had found true peace.


	10. 10 Yari

**10 – Yari**

I remember that day because there was not a cloud in the sky. Summer rains had drenched Konoha for weeks straight and I had almost lost it attempting to keep three children entertained. It in no way helped that they knew what was supposed to happen today.

I tried to get out of my part of the house before anyone woke up in the hopes of sneaking into the bath first. On the way, though, I came across the most prominent figure of our village wearing nothing but a towel.

"Hi nee-san!" Naruto chirped happily. I glared at him and he flinched. "What?"

"Naruto…"

"Hokage!" he replied, as if I needed to be reminded. Honestly, the entire world knew the day Uzumaki Naruto was made Hokage. It was seconded only by the day he got married and I got a brother in law.

"Naruto," I repeated, making sure he understood I wasn't playing his game.

"Maa, don't be mad at me," he whined. "It's not my fault this time! I swear, he volunteered."

That made me glare even more. Neji did not volunteer for a month long mission out of any sense of civic duty. He did it because he had cracked after a week of dealing with cabin fevered children.

"Besides," Naruto smiled, "they're coming back today."

My brow arched a bit upward. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah… Neji wrote ahead and told me they were coming and not to tell you so it would be a sur… oops."

I sighed and laughed. Even after all these years, he was in some ways still the same scattered brain Genin we had met during the Chuunin exams. I ruffled his hair once and pushed him out of the way of the bath door. He protested, loudly, and no doubt woke up the entire house hold but by then I was enjoying the warmth of the bath waters.

He was gone by the time I got out. I hadn't heard him leave which probably meant Hinata had collected him. I've come to learn that though she is quiet, she has a way of using words that make you know better than to disagree. I bet Naruto was groveling right now.

I got back to the room and found the kids were gone. I didn't panic, just made sure I watched my step as I crossed the room. Three wire traps and a few explosion tags on drawers. They were learning fast.

There was a giggle, followed by a hush and I turned towards the closet. Throwing the doors open, I found the three of them huddled and trying to hide.

"Gotcha," I said picking the youngest out of the pile. Hizashi squirmed to get free but at two years old I could still overpower him. The twins though… they took out my legs in an instant.

"I give up!" I cried, trying to get them to stop before they got real vicious and went after ticklish spots.

"Mom," Isamu whined. "You took forever!"

"Yeah, we're going to be late," Osamu added.

"Late?" I asked. "Late for what?"

I was rewarded with unison whining in perfect pitch. Hizashi attempted to join in, but he was too young to really understand.

"Oh! Is that today?" I stated. "I completely forgot."

At that point, the twins gave up on whining. Isamu pulled a yukata out of the closet and threw it at me, while Osamu got the obi. I took my time getting dressed, more as a joke then anything truly malicious. I knew what today was. I didn't blame them for being excited.

I spent time trying to straighten their clothes, which naturally resulted in more whining, and did my best to fix their hair but by then, they had resorted to pulling me out the door themselves. So, with Hizashi in my arms and the twin running circles around my legs, I followed the familiar path towards the Academy.

I lost the twins the second the building came into view. I called out once but they had already dived into the crowd of school children milling about. I heard a rather loud voice over the cacophony calling for order and I took Hizashi with me as I waited at the side.

The pink haired kunoichi got the kids in order in no time. She divided them up into classes and then sent them inside. As soon as she was done, she caught my eye and waved. Belly round and full, she almost waddled over to me.

"Good morning, Prinicpal," I sang.

Sakura glared. "Don't you start too. This is just temporary until I convince Shizune-san that working at the hospital is less stressful then this. Learning experience my…"

"Well you look like you're about to pop," I broke in. Hizashi took the chance to try to grab a pink lock of hair. I tried to bat him away, but Sakura reached out and took him instead.

"I feel like I'm about to pop," Sakura sighed. "This one is going to be a monster. You were this big with two!"

"True," I stated. "But then, I guess when you restart a clan, you have to start big."

Sakura smiled a bit. "Tell me about it. Do you know, he's already planning at least five more? Five without even having the first!"

I laughed. "Let him live through a few sleepless nights and we'll see."

Hizashi had managed to entangle himself in Sakura's hair. "My, but you seem to like my hair," she said working the tiny fingers free.

"Hey if it's a girl, she might have your hair and then…"

"Oh no you don't," Sakura stated. "I get it enough from Naruto. 'Ne ne, Sakura-chan, think about it, we'd really be family then'. Let the poor thing take a breath before we determine their entire future."

I took Hizashi back. "I think I can tell what their future will be," I replied. Sakura raised an eyebrow. "It will be a future of happiness and joy."

Sakura smiled a bit. "Thanks."

"Anytime. Now that I've buttered you up, I want to issue a pre-emptive apology for anything my boys do."

Sakura laughed. "Come on, what's the worst they can…"

One of the windows exploded behind her and smoke billowed out of it. She looked at me and I gave the most supportive look mixed with the most apologetic one I could muster. She mumbled something about having an only child and started back towards the school.

I took Hizashi to the Hokage's Tower and handed him off to his aunt and uncle while I went on duty. Naruto even let him wear the hat for a minute before telling him he had a lot of work to do before he earned it.

I left before Naruto attempted to take it away though I swear I heard Hizashi's cries even as I approached the front gate.

The guard there waved hello and handed over the watch to me, relieved to get home after an all night stay. I took the yari from him, tall and decorated with ribbons, with a bow. It was a beautiful weapon, the spear at the end sharpened and polished so it glittered in the morning sun. It was a ceremonial instrument mostly, a way of letting people who wandered to the gate know that they were entering a well guarded shinobi village.

It represented everything Konoha was. The blade was its strength, the decoration its beauty and the long staff that supported them, the people who worked to maintain the first two. It was given only to decorated jounin and I was proud to hold it.

As I started to make my way to the top of the gate, I felt my heart swell. This was it. This moment. That tender dream I held in my hands when I was young, the one my father nurtured, the one my mother helped. The one I had borne under the poster of Tsunade-sama and refined as I passed through the ranks of shinobi. The dream that rode on the strength of my teammates and my friends, this was it. This honor, this village, my family, it was what I had always wanted, all I ever dreamed of.

I took my position at the top of the gate and stared out at great forest expanse that surrounded my village. The birds were out in swarms, relishing the sun light and feasting on the delights the rain had given them. They circled the town with no fear and I smiled, letting in all the beauty around me.


End file.
